Supplemental lifting finger for cutter bars



Feb. 12, 1946. E. BELTZ 2,394,838

I SUPPLEMENTAL LIETING FINGER FOR CUTTER BARS Filed Jan; 19, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' Inventor [0 BELT:

Feb. 12, 1946.

, E. BELTZ SUPPLEMENTAL LIFTING FINGER FOR CUTTER BARS Fiied Jan. 19, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 Inventor Patented F eb. 12 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPLEMENTAL LIFTING FINGER FOR CUTTER BARS 1 Claim.

combine harvesters and the like.

The principal object in view is to provide an efiicient device of the character indicated for attachment to the guards of mower cutter bars to pick up grain which has been flattened down in the field so that each grain may be harvested, and Which is simple in construction, adapted for quick and easy attachment to the usual cutter bar guards, and is inexpensive to manufacture and adapted for prolonged use.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved supplementing lifting finger applied to a guard of a mower cutter bar,

Figure 2 is a view in top plan,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section drawn to an enlarged scale and taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the rear end section of the lower member of said finger.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, as best shown in Figure 1, my improved supplemental lifting finger is formed of a single rod of resilient metal bent upon itself intermediate its ends to form a blunt, straight leading end I of double thickness, and upper and lower members 2, 3, diverging rearwardly, relatively, at an acute angle from said leading end I, the upper member being longer than the lower one. The members 2, 3 each terminate in a straight end 4, 5, respectively, which diverge relatively at a more acute angle than the remainder of said members, and the rear end section 5 of the lower member 3 is transversely square and provided with a downwardly and rearwardly beveled terminal 6, and a concave socket 1 in its upper face contiguous said terminal.

The described finger is detachably attached to one of the usual cutter bar guards, such as shown at 8 in Figure 1, and as follows. An elongated, transversely square, sleeve-like keeper 9 is suitably attached, as by welding, not shown, to the usual upwardly and forwardly inclined bottom face I!) of the guard 8 to extend along said face, and a convex, button-like latch II is provided on said face In in the rear of said keeper 9. The rear end section 5 of the lower member 3 extends through said keeper 9 with a sliding fit, and is latched to the guard 8 by seating of the latch l I in the socket l.

As willsbe seen, by forcing the rear end section 5 through said keeper 9, the beveled terminal 6 may be forced past the latch II so that the latch will seat in the socket l with a snap action. Also, when the end section 5 is thus attached to the guard 8, the lower member 3 will slant upwardly and forwardly from the guard 8, the leading end I of the finger will be disposed horizontally above the ground but close enough thereto to pick up flattened grain, and the upper member 2 will slant upwardly and rearwardly so as to gradually straighten up the grain as the finger moves over the field. Obviously the squared keeper 9 and end section 5 maintain the parts of the finger in a vertical plane and said finger may be detached when desired by pulling the same forwardly of the guard 8, or, byhammer blows directed against the terminal of the end section 5.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suflice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the invention concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a cutter bar guard of a supplemental lifting finger comprising a straight leading end, a pair of upper and lower rod-like members diverging from said end, and means to detachably attach the rear end of the lower member to the under side of said guard, said means comprising a sleeve-like keeper on said side of said guard through which said rear end is slidably extended, and coacting devices on said guard and end for latching said end to said guard, said devices comprising a socket in said rear end and a button-like latch member on said guard seating in said socket, with a snap action, said rear end being beveled to facilitate moving the same past said member when said rear end is extended through said keeper.

ED BELTZ. 

